Soul vs Soul 8 Ermac vs Zasalamel
by 1st Lieutenant. Fae
Summary: Ermac, a warrior created through the fusion of uncounted souls. One of Shao Khan's most elite and deadly warriors. Zasalamel an immortal warrior on a quest to end his own immortality these two warriors of magic meet and the ultimate fight of magic and martial arts ensues and only one will survive to see another sunrise.


Alright Soul vs Soul fans, this one was suggested by HamBone318 here's Ermac vs Zasalamel.

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Outworld Shao Khan's throne room.

The emperor of Outworld sat at his throne furious at the news he had received from one of his shadow priests. Both Baraka and Mileena two of his most trusted warriors had been defeated and killed and there was still no sign of Scorpion who he had sent through the portal over a month ago. He was losing his patience and many skilled warriors on the other side of the portal Shang Tsung had opened the portal that led to 16th century Earthrealm. Beyond that portal to Earthrealm's past was rumor of a weapon one that contained extraordinary power a weapon called Soul Edge.

The Emperor himself after his shadow priests confirmed the existence of the weapon had gone through the portal and barely survived his encounter with a warrior from the other side. Since then he had sent multiple warriors through in hopes they would retrieve the weapon for him, but none have returned. Reptile, Baraka and Mileena his shadow priests had confirmed their deaths and Scorpion was still alive, but they could not pinpoint his location in the massive world. Shao Khan had debated with himself about sending his shadow priests in to claim Soul Edge for him, but he dared not risk them despite their power they were his most valuable servants.

That's when the idea sparked in his power hungry mind, valuable servants he grinned.

The doors to his throne room opened and a man clad in red and black ninja garb approached him. His black leather armor was tiled at the shoulders and column stripped down his leggings while his shirt piece was patterned to look like stretching muscles. He wore a golden belt with a glowing emerald colored orb in the center of the buckle and scaled long black boots that reached up to his knees each of them with a similar emerald green orb at their tips. The orbs glowed with the same misty emerald color as his eyes the only part of his face visible beneath the black bandage mask that covered his entire head.

This warrior was known as Ermac, a warrior created by dark magic that fused uncounted souls together into a single being. Created with the purpose of giving Shao Khan another servant with incredible power Ermac proved to be a very capable warrior as well able to fight and hold his own against multiple enemies at once thanks to his telekinetic powers. The sheer concentration of souls that made up his existence had given him the power of telekinesis and with that power he had won many battles on the emperor's behalf and single handedly killed many of Shao Khan's enemies.

"You summoned for us Emperor?" the warrior asked kneeling.

"Ermac" Shao Khan stood up, "I have a task for you. Inside Shang Tsung's Soul Tombs is a portal that will take you to Earthrealm as it was centuries ago. There is a weapon there known as Soul Edge and it holds great power you will track it down and bring it to me and destroy anything that gets in your way".

Ermac stood up and saluted by holding an arm across his chest, "At you command. We will not fail you".

"Pray that you do not" Shao Khan told him, "I have already sent Reptile, Baraka and Mileena and they have all been killed there. The warriors on that side are perhaps more powerful than the ones we face today".

"They were, but single fighters" Ermac said lowering his salute, "We are many. We will succeed where they have failed".

"Then go" Shao Khan commanded waving his arm for Ermac to leave.

Ermac followed his emperor's shadow priests to the Soul Tombs had approached the portal feeling the powerful magic coming from it. He collected himself in an instant and leaped in without hesitation.

16th century Earthrealm.

He had been sensing strange and otherworldly magic for a time now they appear for only a few moments and then disappear. Normally he would not concern himself with such things, but their continued appearance managed to capture his interest so he began tracking down their origins. The first had appeared at a small fishing village near the ocean, the village itself had been wiped out and there were many graves at the edge of the ruined village. Such a sight would surely give many others pause for a variety of reasons, but he had lived for so long that he was unable to feel anything for those who had died, even sympathy.

Zasalamel was his name or at least the name he was given at his original birth.

Zasalamel always had a natural gift for magic able to perform a spell after seeing it only once and spent many of his days in pursuit of knowledge that was labeled as forbidden or lost to history. A tall dark skinned bald man he was dressed in a decorative white and gold priest like robe with sleeves that ran to his wrists and pants that ended just past his ankles. Golden yellow curved tipped shoes several gems that dangled from the end of his robe's golden centerpiece. His left eye was a dimly shining gold color with a strange symbol only he knew etched inside it and a black curved marking that ran a half circle around the outside of his eye. He carried with him a large white and gold scythe like weapon with him that he called Kafziel.

He was once part of an ancient tribe that was tasked with protecting Soul Calibur, the sacred sword, but as war began raging on throughout the world around them Zasalamel believed that his tribe should use the sacred sword's power to protect themselves which went against his tribe's edicts that forbade the use of the sword. Angered by this he attempted to take the sword into his own hands, but was caught and exiled from his tribe.

Forced to wonder alone Zasalamel traveled learning all he could from ancient knowledge he discovered eventually finding the secret to reincarnation. Casting the spell on himself he smiled as it worked perfectly. While he continued to age and eventually die his soul would immediately be reborn in another body one that would grow up to have his exact former appearance and ability and memories. So continued the existence of Zasalamel.

He lived for many, many generations watching the world around him evolve and change while he always remained the same the only difference was his adaption into the modern world however, he slowly began losing joy in his eternal life. As one life was coming to an end he grew tired of the pain that came with an old age death which only increased every time he experienced it and with no way to undo the spell he had cast on himself he was doomed to continue on this way forever. At one point he had fallen into despair and tried to take his own life multiple times at various ages, only to be reborn again and again the cycle unending.

With no other way to free himself from his "curse" he sought out Soul Edge the weapon that devoured souls in hopes that it would be able to grant him the final death he longed for. Unfortunately even Soul Edge's power was not enough he needed the power of its opposite, Soul Calibur as well. He returned to the site of his original life where his former tribe had guarded the sword only to find no trace that they ever existed. He had lived for so many years that he had lost all sense of time no longer able to remember how old he truly was or how many times he had been reborn and now time had passed long enough for traces of his original history to be lost forever.

He walked through what was left of the small fishing village a few times tracing the origins of the unfamiliar magics he sensed and at last found them though not in the way he was expecting.

A circle appeared in the air hovering a few feet above the ground a fiery circle with a swirling orange and black center and a figure leapt out and rolled along the ground quickly stopping and standing up to survey his surroundings.

A figure with powerful magic that felt similar to his own something he had never sensed before. A new experience for him almost enough to make him feel some faint level of excitement as he approached the man in front of him.

Ermac sensed something behind him and spun around on his heels his arm immediately going up to warn whoever was behind him.

"Halt" he called out his voice having an echo within itself as if more than one person were speaking, "Unless you have knowledge of Soul Edge we advise you to not obstruct us or we will be forced to kill you".

"So" Zasalamel said stopping in his tracks only long enough to flourish his scythe, "You know of Soul Edge. A pity, that means I must dispose of you".

"We warned you" Ermac said falling into Choy Lay Fut his preferred fighting stance, "We will break you as well".

Ermac stepped forward readying his arm to strike and thrusting his arm forward as he straightened his fingers out. Zasalamel stepped to the side and with surprising speed spun his scythe around and brought the blade down on top of where Ermac was standing. The fusion of souls twisted his body to the side to avoid being impaled and immediately dropped down and turned on his palms sweeping Zasalamel's feet knocking him down.

Ermac jumped back after his sweep was completed and raised his arms using his telekinetic powers to lift his opponent's body up and slam him on the ground once, twice, three times before throwing him to the side. Zasalamel rolled and stopped on his knees planting the end of his scythe in the ground as he stood up.

"Very well…This should be interesting".

Zasalamel began walking toward Ermac muttering something to himself as he waved his hand through the air a chant of some kind and though Ermac knew not what kind of spell he was preparing to cast he wasn't going to let him use it. Ermac charged forward pivoting on one heel and extending his open palm firing a wavy line of green energy at Zasalamel.

Keeping his eyes closed Zasalamel waved his scythe in front of him blocking the energy shot and then shot out his own hand a wave of magic pushing Ermac back and then another wave targeting his feet causing him to fall forward. Ermac caught himself and pushed up into a jump landing back on his feet firing another wave of energy and then a second only for Zasalamel to block both of them as he continued walking toward him spinning his scythe around in his hands again before driving it down just like he did last time this time turning the blade toward his opponent as it fell to the ground and sweeping it to the side.

The blade missed his legs, but the shaft crashed into his shins knocking him over and Zasalamel continued his spinning momentum turning a full three sixty degrees raising his scythe up and bringing it down on top of his enemy. Ermac rolled to one side avoiding impalement once again and quickly rolled back the other way to avoid a second stab. After the second roll Ermac raised his hand firing another wave of energy at his opponent's head scoring a close range hit and he kicked at Zasalamel's legs tripping him long enough for Ermac to crawl backwards and return to his feet.

Ermac fired another blast of energy at his opponent and stepped forward following up his attack with an overhead chop chaining his strike into a body jab with his hand partially open with his fingers extended striking Zasalamel in the stomach and finishing with a twisting kick to his knees followed lastly by an uppercut. Ermac stepped back as Zasalamel stumbled back his footing lost leaving him open for Ermac to regain his breath and attack again, targeting the back of Zasalamel's knees Ermac kicked knocking him down to one knee. Grabbing his head Ermac bent him backwards and rammed his knee into the back of his head, but before his knee made contact Zasalamel swung his scythe behind him the tip missing its mark, but the blade cutting into Ermac's shoulder as it sliced through his armor.

Ermac's hold faltered for a second long enough for Zasalamel to overpower him, he reached back grabbing Ermac's collar and lunged forward flipping the many souls over him and rolling to the side to get up. Back on his feet Zasalamel swung his scythe low as Ermac got up catching him and swinging him into the air flinging him from the hook of his weapon and turning it back slamming it down on him. Ermac's back crashed into the ground again blood slowly flowing from the cuts on his body as he returned to his feet the aura of dark magic and many souls all raging around within him as his frustration built.

Zasalamel stood up gripping his scythe with both hands and holding it back waiting for his opponent to return to his feet once again before he attacked. Zasalamel swung his scythe as Ermac rose to his feet aiming low to catch his feet, but Ermac levitated floating up into the air and quickly coming down in a flying kick striking Zasalamel in the chest stumbling him repeating his attack Ermac levitated again and flew down kicking Zasalamel's chest causing him to fall over. Landing on his feet Ermac raised his arm engulfed in a green mist using his telekinetic powers to once again lift Zasalamel off the ground, but before he could slam him down Zasalamel reached out his own hand and fired a wavy line of green energy at Ermac catching him by surprise.

Ermac reeled as the green energy struck his head stumbling back dropping Zasalamel as he shook the pain and confusion from his head.

"How?" Ermac gasped before Zasalamel lifted him off the ground with the same technique that Ermac used on him and slamming him down.

Ermac was in shock as his body struck the ground and was raised up again and slammed a second time his techniques the power of telekinesis was being used against him.

The souls that made up his being all screamed in fury as Zasalamel used the telekinetic powers to draw his opponent toward him rearing back as he raised his scythe and brought it down the shaft crashing down on Ermac's skull causing his neck to crumble as he fell to his knees and Zasalamel drove the end of his weapon down against Ermac's exposed spine cracking it. Stepping back Zasalamel raised his scythe again and swung it down the blunt end smacking into Ermac's side sending him rolling across the ground.

"We are not defeated yet" Ermac groaned quickly clawing his way back up, "You may be able to duplicate our magic, but we are many you are, but one".

"I cannot allow anyone who knows about the sword to live. Come I shall hold a requiem for your soul".

Ermac fired another wave of energy at Zasalamel who performed the same spell and the two magics collided Ermac ran forward using his telekinetic powers to block Zasalamel's as he tried to lift him again. Getting within reach of his opponent Ermac jumped to the side as Zasalamel brought his scythe down again and landed a full strength uppercut his fist landing square into the center of Zasalamel's face breaking his nose as he was sent into the air.

Ermac grabbed Zasalamel and held him in the air as focused his power on his arm and slowly began tearing it from its socket.

The pain, Zasalamel could feel it his arm was being torn from his shoulder he had to act now or it would be over and thought he would probably die he would lose years in his quest to find the two swords again as he waited for his next body to grow.

Using the telekinetic powers he learned from his opponent Zasalamel threw his scythe at Ermac who blocked it and tossed it to the side, but it was only a distraction. Zasalamel lifted Ermac and slammed him into the ground headfirst breaking his concentration. Ermac dropped Zasalamel who summoned his scythe back to his hand and lifted Ermac into the air again as he raised his scythe.

He pulled his arm back causing Ermac to fly toward him and he stepped to the side and clotheslined Ermac with his scythe before stepping back and drawing a symbol in the air.

"Accept your fate" he yelled as a large magical symbol appeared on the ground and Ermac began floating into the air.

A portal of opened behind Ermac as Zasalamel reared back and swung forward hitting him with his scythe one last time sending him into the void.

"Vanish into the void!" he yelled as he closed the portal after Ermac vanished into it, "Farewell".

Zasalamel took a moment to catch his breath, his arm was still screaming in burning pain as it dangled at his side nearly torn from its socket. He planted his scythe's end in the ground as he lowered himself and sat down his opponent was a tough one, but he managed to pull through not that it would have mattered if he had lost he would have been reborn anyway. At least with his victory he wouldn't have to wait for another body to grow up before searching for the two swords again. He would rest here for a while, regain his strength and let his arm heal before moving on, it appeared there were still some things in the world that even he in all his years hadn't seen yet.

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And so ends another great warrior. Ermac's power and elite combat abilities gave him an early and decisive advantage, but Zasalamel's countless years of experience and his ability to perform any magic after seeing it used only once was enough for him to fight back and claim victory over his opponent. The winner is Zasalamel.

A/N. As always I'm open to suggestions on the next battle, as the next Soul vs Soul will be DRUMROLL...yeah I got nothing. Send in some requests and I'll pick my favorite, until next time.


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